By MIKE SMITHBefore leaving for Minnesota, former Broncos coach P.J. Fleck had excelled in loading Western Michigan’s roster with a wealth of talented “rowers” for his “Row the Boat” mantra. The cupboard, in fact, was anything but empty when former Broncos QB Tim Lester took over as head coach.

Western’s wealth of talent, however, took some significant hits - early and often -- in 2017. The “21 season-ending injuries was not expected, (but) we learned a lot. We grew closer,” Lester said.

By MIKE SMITHIt was a wild ride for the Bulls in 2017 as they sandwiched a four-game losing streak in between a pair of three-game win streaks. Finishing with an upset home win over preseason MAC East favorite Ohio, the Bulls got a little momentum for 2018.

With some serious talent at several skills positions, UB is now considered a serious contender. While Ohio was a clear MAC East favorite (21 of 24 first place votes) in the preseason MAC Media poll. UB was second or third in most preseason publications. “There are a lot of pieces coming back to this puzzle, and now we are excited to see where it can take us,” Fourth-year head coach Lance Leipold said.

By EVAN MEYERAfter starting 2017 with wins over Charlotte and Rutgers, much of Eastern Michigan’s mid-season might be characterized with three words -- OH, SO CLOSE!!

The heartbreak started with an overtime loss at home to Ohio. Five straight losses (by a total of 23 points) followed before EMU finished with three victories in its last four outings. Just one more win and Eastern would have been bowl eligible.

By EVAN MEYERThe Kent State Golden Flashes will have a new look to their game this year as they embark on the Sean Lewis era.

Lewis takes over what has recently been a struggling Flashes program. After a 2-10 mark in 2017, KSU decided it was time for a change and brought in Lewis, who became the youngest head coach among college Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

By EVAN MEYERLooking back at the Akron Zips’ 2017 stats on their own, it’s sometimes difficult to see a team that won seven games, took the MAC Eastern Division title and participated in a bowl game.

However, wins and losses don’t always follow the stat sheet and UA found ways to win -- such as surviving a deluge at Western Michigan to win the next day. The Zips also scored a late touchdown to defeat Buffalo by one point and nipped Ohio in a shootout to secure the Eastern Division title.

Former University at Buffalo men's basketball standout and Mid-American Conference Tournament MVP Wes Clark will continue his playing career in Italy as he has joined Happy Casa Brindisi based out of Brindisi, Apulia. It plays in the first division of the Lega Basket Series.Clark, who won the . . .

STAFF REPORT​BOWLING GREEN (2-10, 2-8 MAC in 2017)Putting wins on the board has been tough enough for BG in recent years. It won’t get any easier early in the season as the Falcons open at Oregon, followed by home games against Maryland, Eastern Kentucky and Miami (OH).

That is followed by trips to Georgia Tech and rival Toledo. Throw in a home game against Western Michigan, and then BG meets Ohio in Athens. Tough schedule is probably an understatement. On the plus side, Bowling Green . . .

If you are a MAC football fan, you probably like the new MAC Jolly Roger. I know I do.​Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher announced what could become a tradition last week during football media day activities. The gist of it is that conference schools are encouraged to fly the MAC-themed pirate flag after wins over Power Five schools, or other big non-conference victories. Hence, bowl wins might be cause for hoisting the banner, as well.

Publisher﻿

Mike Smith saw his first MAC footb﻿a﻿ll action as a nine-year-old while hanging onto the flagpole of a nearby baseball stadium. The view got better after he discovered he could get in free at halftime. Decades later, he can usually be found either on press row or along the sidelines.Mike has won awards for both his stories and pictures during his time in journalism. Combining his own skills with those of other writers and photographers, along with conference and school resources, he constantly works to provide an enjoyable MAC product.

ATTENTION WRITERS!MAC Reporter Online is seeking contributors for coverage at a number of Mid-American Conference schools.Several “levels” of participation are available for writers or photographers. For further information, contact Mike at: mro24mike@gmail.com.